I used to teach PPL courses at Welshpool in Mid Wales and turned out several complete PPL's in under 4 weeks in the summer on 1999. There are numerous schools in the UK that can do that for you if its a priority. The weather factor in Florida ain't so much better than the UK for significant chunks of the year.
Nevertheless it is a cost saving measure to gain your PPL there and/or to do your hours building there. Many have done and will continue to do so.
My main contention was that doing a FAA CPL/IR ATPL and then trying to convert to the JAA version was long winded, expensive, hassle and ultimately not worth it.
I stand by that.
I also had the great displeasure of checking out several people returning from the USA now wanting to hire club aircraft. Sure its anecdotal but these poor people had no idea of the lost procedure, flew non standard 'patterns' instead of circuits, could not obtain a RIS or perform a zone/matz transit, had not flown in mildly adverse weather, had never used a grass runway nor a runway short than 5,000ft, couldn't read or decode CAA 1:50,000 maps and had no idea of VFR minimas or UK airspace rules.
With the best will in the world they needed 3 or 4 hours in the aircraft and the same in long briefings. Thus negating any cost saving by going 4,000 miles away for basic training.
Like anything else there are pros and cons. I merely discuss them here so that Wannabes have heard both sides of the debate - I'm a bit passed PPL's by this point and don't run a school nor instruct any more...
Cheers
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